How much can the Son do of Himself?
Who does He follow?
How much does the Father show Him?
Why will we marvel?
What do both the Father and the Son do for the dead?
Who does the Father judge?
Who judges? Why?
If you don’t honor the Son, who is connected with that?
What are the two prerequisites for receiving eternal life?
What are the results?
What time is coming?
What to those in the graves have to hear to live?
Who has life in Himself?
Who has He given that same life power to?
What other authority has the Father given to the Son? Why?
What time is coming? (Recap of verse 25)
Again, what will wake the dead?
Who will wake to the resurrection of life?
Who will wake to the resurrection of condemnation?
Again, what can Jesus do of Himself alone?
Why is Christ’s judgment just?

Thought Questions

What are the basic themes Jesus repeats several times in this section? How would you summarize it?
If Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, why does He repeat several times that He can do nothing of Himself?
Why is it so important to know that Jesus can do nothing by Himself? If Jesus can do nothing by Himself, what can we do by ourselves? What connection, like Jesus had, do we have to have?
Although Jesus can do nothing by Himself, there are a few important tasks that God gives Him to do. What are they? Why do you think Jesus is the one to do them? What does all this tell you about the unity between the Father and the Son?
Think about how Jesus says that the Father has life in Himself (verse 26). Do we have life in ourselves, or do we borrow it from God? Are we immortal, as we are? Can we really comprehend what “unborrowed” life is? See 1 Timothy 6:16.
Here, Jesus says that the Father has given this “unborrowed” life to Him as well. How does that help you understand the purpose of His sacrifice for our lives?
Think about the Resurrection (verses 28-29). Do you believe in resurrection? What is the scenario that you picture (based on what is written in the Bible) at the Resurrection Time? Do you believe that when you die, your soul goes straight to heaven or hell? How do you understand the Resurrection if your soul is already with God in Heaven?

My prayer is:
for understanding that I can do nothing without the Father;
that my connection with the Father would grow deeper, as was Christ’s;
that I would always be eager to hear His voice and to do good, and to anticipate the resurrection of life.

What was next on Jesus’ itinerary? Why?
Where was the pool? What was it called?
Who was hanging around the pool? Why?
What was the story of the pool?
How long had this particular man been afflicted?
What question did Jesus ask him?
What was the man’s answer? Did he directly answer Jesus’ question?
What did Jesus then ask him to do? Did he do it?
What day did this happen on?
What did the Jews forbid?
Who did the man say told him to do it?
What did the Jews ask him?
Did he know who healed him? Why not?
Where did Jesus find His patient again?
What did He tell him to do?
What did the healed man go do next?
What was the result of that?
Why did the Jews want to kill Jesus?
What do Jesus and His Father always do?
Then, what additional reason did the Jews have to want to kill Jesus?
Thought Questions

Do you think an angel actually stirred the water and healed whoever happened to get there first? What do you imagine was the reason for the legend?
Imagine the scene by the pool. Water rippled, and a “great multitude” tried to get in first. That must have been quite a stampede! Although obviously many of them could never even make a move toward it, because they were crippled. Who do you think was more likely to get in first–the worst cases or those who were relatively stronger?
Why do you think Jesus chose one particular man instead of healing everyone around the pool?
Like the nobleman and several other situations, Jesus tested this man’s faith before He healed him. How was his response similar or different from the nobleman’s? How did the crippled man show his faith in Jesus?
Do you think the healed cripple knew that it was illegal to carry a mat on the Sabbath? Did he understand the element of risk in doing what Jesus said?
The Sabbath is one of the Ten Commandments. Should the Ten Commandments be followed? Are there situations when humans might twist God’s laws in their favor, or make additions to them? What might be the result of that?
Can you find in the Old Testament where it says not to carry a mat on the Sabbath?
What are your thoughts on mercy versus God’s Law? Is there a contradiction? Is it possible that humans can cause contradictions where there might not otherwise be any? What does this do for the reputation of both mercy and the Law?
When Jesus found the healed man again in the temple, He told him, “Sin no more.” Are there other occasions in the Bible when He said the same thing to others? Was this important? Can we go on sinning after Christ has healed us (physically or spiritually), and expect to get away with it?
We are called to be a witness and tell others about what Christ has done for us. However, there were certain times when Jesus specifically told people not to tell others what He had done. Why is this? Are there any applications in our ministries? Are there people whose hearts are so hard that delivering the same message to them as to others who are seeking might be a hindrance rather than a help? Did God ever teach us that there are times when we should avoid martyrdom? How about in Christ’s own life? How important is timing?

My prayer is:
to have the faith to follow God’s commands, which will facilitate my healing;
for wisdom to know the difference between the Law of God and of man;
and to “Sin no more.”

Where did Jesus go next? Why?
What kind if reception did he get in Galilee? Why?
What town in Galilee did He meet the nobleman in? What had happened there?
What did the nobleman seek Jesus out to ask for?
What was Jesus’ response?
What did the nobleman say then?
How did Jesus respond?
Did the nobleman believe then? What did he do?
Who met the nobleman along his way? What did they come to tell him?
What question did the nobleman ask them?
When did the fever leave him? What was the significance of that particular time?
What was the result of this?

Thought Questions

Why do you think a prophet is not honored in his hometown?
Have you felt like your witness of Christ has been received better or worse in certain circles? What do you do when it is not received well?
Why did the people in Galilee accept Jesus there? Was it a good reason? Why have you accepted Jesus? Was that a good reason? Do you think it matters? What matters the most?
Was the nobleman sincere in his belief in Jesus? Did he (and perhaps others like him) think much about Christ as the Messiah, the Savior of the world, or did he just want his son to be healed? Did it matter at that point?
When Jesus said, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye shall not believe,” do you think he was only speaking of that nobleman, or generally? Consider the context.
Was there anything in the nobleman’s response that particularly affected Jesus? Would He have healed his son anyway? Was there ever anyone He refused to heal because of their attitude?
Why do you think Jesus sent the nobleman on his way, telling him that his son would be healed, rather than going there with him like he asked?
Do you think the nobleman’s question to his servants showed a lack of faith in Jesus, or just curiosity?

My prayer is:
that my faith would be based on trust that God is right, not just on miraculous signs;
that this faith and patience would continue even without immediate external evidence;
and that I would be able to act on my faith, even without immediate signs or evidence.

Why did Jesus leave Galilee?
Where did He go?
Did Jesus baptize people? Who did?
Along the way, where did Jesus need to pass through?
What town was Jacob’s well near?
What time was it when Jesus rested by the well? (The Jewish day started at 6:00 AM)
Who came to draw water? What did Jesus ask her for?
Why was the woman surprised at this request?
What was Jesus’ response? What did He want her to ask Him for?
Like Nicodemus and the Jews, did this woman understand what Jesus was trying to say?
What were all the reasons the woman gave for why this offer of “living water” didn’t make sense to her?
What did Jesus say is the result of drinking “living water?”
Despite her misunderstandings, did she end up asking Him for His water?
Then, what did Jesus ask her to do?
What was her response?
What was Jesus’ surprising reply?
How many husbands had the woman had?
What does the woman decide that Jesus is, since He knew this information about her?
Then, she seemingly changes the subject and asks what questions?
Where do the Jews worship? Where do the Samaritans worship?
According to Jesus, what is true worship? Are either of those places the only places of worship?
Verse 22: why is salvation “of the Jews?”
Is the woman starting to understand how spiritual knowledge is attained? Who does she say will come to enlighten them?
Who did Jesus tell her that He is?
What happened right after that?
What were the disciples surprised at?
Where did the woman go then? What did she leave behind?
What was her report to the people in the village?
What was the result? Did anyone listen and follow her to Jesus?
In the meantime, who was Jesus talking with?
What did they want Him to do?
What was Jesus’ “food?”
How long, as the saying went, was there between planting and harvest?
Did Jesus think the harvest was ready?
What is the payment for harvesting?
Did the disciples sow the harvest that they were to reap?
What did the Samaritan woman tell her fellow villagers that made them believe in Jesus?
How long did Jesus stick around with them there?
Then, besides the testimony of the woman, why did even more of them believe?
Who were they convinced that Jesus was?

Thought Questions

What does Jesus removing Himself from Judaea tell you about Him?
Why did Jesus go through Samaria? Most Jews went around it. Did He just want a shortcut?
Think about all the times so far that Jesus has made veiled, metaphorical references to His kingdom–to Nicodemus, to the Jewish leaders, to his disciples, to the Samaritan woman (and we’re only in the fourth chapter!) Who among them ended up understanding what Jesus was talking about, and who didn’t? Why do you think that is? Do you think it has more to do with Jesus’ clarity of explaining, or with what their minds were open to understanding?
If a stranger came up to you and revealed that he knew all your deep, dark secrets, how would you respond? Would you be frightened, shocked, and ashamed, or would you go tell all of your friends about this? What does the woman’s response tell you about her? About Jesus? Do you think the fact that He went out of His way to show unprejudiced kindness toward her made a difference?
Read verse 22 again. What role does knowledge play in salvation? How can our knowledge make us more effective in God’s work? How can we receive that knowledge?
Why do you think Jesus was so direct in telling this woman exactly who He was? Did He often do that in his life on earth?
If you were one of those disciples who caught Jesus talking to a foreign woman, what would your response be? Do you think it was eventually made clear to them? What happened that made them understand Jesus’ action here?
What did the woman say to bring her fellow villagers to Jesus? (Hint: Also remember how the first disciples called each other to Jesus.) Was she an educated theologian? Did she preach a long sermon? How can you apply her approach to your witness?
Do you have to be the sower to reap the harvest? What might it mean to only perform one small part of the process of spiritual “farming” in another person’s life?
Are you willing to work for the harvest? Is the reward (verse 36) enough for you?

My prayer is:
that, like Jesus, I would seek those who are considered “lesser” in society to offer assistance and hope in Christ’s Kingdom,
that my mind would be open to not only the knowledge of Christ’s Kingdom, but to His correction of my faults,
and that my first response to His correction would not be to recoil but to tell everyone, “Come and see.”